The only reason I was a little nervous about reading it was that I wasn’t sure how I’d find it because it was a rewritten classic – would it stand out enough? There’s quite a big market in fairy tale re-tellings. I’m not sure why I thought that Neil Gaiman’s spin on the well-known stories was fantastic, and I didn’t want to pull myself out of the story. I was aware the story would be a retelling of Sleeping Beauty – but didn’t realise that the clever twists would draw in Snow White too. I’ve been a fan of Chris Riddell’s work for years but I think his illustrations in The Sleeper and the Spindle are my new favourites – especially the two-page spreads and the endpapers! The character depictions are all so beautiful. I fell in love with the look and feel of the book before I’d even started the story! I know it’s a book I’ll treasure. The cover made me want to start reading straight away (Which I did!) and the minimalistic colour palette of black, white and gold makes the beautiful illustrations stand out. The book is one of the most beautiful editions I’ve ever come across. Consequently, when I found out about The Sleeper and the Spindle, I was really excited about reading it!

Neil Gaiman’s writing is always gorgeous and Chris Riddell’s illustrations always bring to life his characters in an unforgettable way. My Review: Chris Riddell and Neil Gaiman are a brilliant storytelling pair – as I knew from reading Fortunately, the Milk, their children’s book. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. Goodreads Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. Published October 23rd 2014 by Bloomsbury.

Chris riddell sleeper and the spindle